New York City is set to witness a historic sporting event this Sunday as it hosts a World Cup cricket match between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan. The game, which will take place in a pop-up stadium at Eisenhower Park on Long Island, marks the first time a Cricket World Cup match is being held in the United States. The match has generated immense excitement among the city's diverse population.
“India-Pakistan is the
game everyone would like to watch, and… it’s happening in our backyard,” said
Ajith Shetty, president of two local cricket leagues, expressing his thrill at
this groundbreaking event.
Despite the proximity,
many fans in the bustling Little India neighborhood of Queens expressed their
inability to attend the game due to high ticket prices. “I asked about it, but
it’s so expensive. I’ll watch it on my mobile,” said 31-year-old Rajeet Krishna,
acknowledging the significance of the match with a long-standing history
between the two nations. The stadium’s 34,000 seats have been sold out for
months, with resale tickets fetching at least $800.
Lalit Modi, the founder
of the Indian Premier League (IPL), criticized the inflated ticket prices,
emphasizing that the tournament’s goal is to expand the game and engage fans,
not to profit from gate collections.
The excitement extends
beyond Indian and Pakistani communities, with immigrants from other South Asian
countries also eagerly anticipating the face-off. “Like lion and tiger,”
described Faros Ahmed, a Bangladeshi-origin restaurant manager who plans to
broadcast the game for his customers.
The rivalry is fueled by
infrequent head-to-head matches outside of official ICC competitions, with the
last test match between India and Pakistan occurring in 2007. “We are going to
take revenge, we are going to beat them,” declared Roop Sajnani, an Indian
native and sari store manager who vividly recalled his family’s forced
migration during the 1947 partition.
Interestingly, many
Bangladeshis in the area, despite historical conflicts, are siding with
Pakistan. “Let’s say we just like to see India lose against all the teams,”
said Mostakim Shahed, a 20-year-old student from Bangladesh, highlighting the
regional dynamics at play.
The match is crucial for
Pakistan, which faces potential elimination after a surprising loss to the
United States, currently ranked 18th in the world. Pakistani journalist Wajahat
S. Khan shared his mixed emotions of excitement and terror, acknowledging
Pakistan’s chances of losing but also their unpredictable prowess.
The unexpected US victory
over Pakistan has spurred a surge in cricket interest across the country. Local
cricket organizer Ajith Shetty noted, “All the news channels are talking about
it, people are explaining what is cricket. People are understanding what is
cricket.” He hopes the tournament will lead to better infrastructure for
cricket players in the New York area, even though the Long Island stadium will
be dismantled in July, continuing the search for a permanent arena for local
leagues.
Stay tuned for more
updates as New York prepares for this thrilling sporting spectacle.
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